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Gender Equity at UOW

UOWs gender pay gap reporting and employer statement

At the University of Wollongong (UOW), we are committed to embedding equity, diversity and inclusion across all aspects of our work. Achieving gender pay equity is a key component of this commitment. Gender pay equity ensures that individuals performing the same role receive the same remuneration, and that different roles of equal or comparable value are recognised and rewarded fairly. This requires a consistent and unbiased approach to valuing skills, responsibilities, qualifications, and working conditions.

Gender biases in recruitment, promotion, performance assessment, and remuneration decisions can lead to inequitable outcomes. Research consistently identifies several contributing factors to the gender pay gap, including:

  • Discrimination and bias in hiring and pay decisions
  • Lower salaries associated with roles and disciplines that are female‑dominated
  • Higher rates of part‑time and casual work among women
  • Women undertaking a disproportionate share of unpaid caring and domestic responsibilities
  • Limited workplace flexibility, particularly in senior academic and professional roles

UOW is firmly committed to reducing its gender pay gap and advancing gender equity across the institution. In alignment with our strategic priorities and our dedication to building a culture of belonging, the University undertakes a range of initiatives to support equitable outcomes, including:

  • Gender Pay Equity Audits: We undertake comprehensive annual audits to monitor trends, identify areas of concern, and address structural inequities.
  • Gender Representation Targets: UOW has set targets across academic and professional levels, faculties and divisions to improve balanced representation.
  • Flexible Work and Carer Support: We promote flexible work practices and a range of support options enabling staff with caring responsibilities to participate fully and progress in their careers.
  • Increasing Representation in STEMM: We invest in initiatives that support women to enter and succeed in under‑represented and non‑traditional disciplines, including science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine (STEMM).
  • Recruitment, promotion, and performance processes are continuously reviewed and refined to ensure fairness, transparency, and equal opportunity. Training and capability‑building support this work.
  • Professional Development Fund for Carers (PDFC): The PDFC provides financial assistance to staff with primary carer responsibilities, helping to cover additional care‑related costs when attending conferences, workshops or other professional development activities.
  • Section 126 Exemption: UOW holds a section 126 exemption under the Anti‑Discrimination Act 1977 (NSW), enabling gender‑targeted recruitment in areas where women are under‑represented. This supports equal opportunity and helps address systemic barriers to employment.

UOW Gender Pay Gap Statement 2024-25

Position Statement

At the University of Wollongong (UOW), we are committed to fostering a workplace where all staff feel respected, included, and able to thrive. We are proud of our culture of equity and belonging, and we& remain steadfast in our commitment to ensuring that gender is never a barrier to opportunity, recognition, or reward.

UOW continues to refine and enhance its policies, systems and practices to support improved gender equity outcomes. We offer flexible work arrangements that enable staff of all genders to access meaningful career development while maintaining a healthy work–life balance. Our commitment extends to identifying and removing barriers to recruitment, selection, progression and leadership development, particularly for women, who continue to experience systemic barriers across the higher‑education sector.

We recognise that gender equity is fundamental to UOW's long‑term success. Diverse perspectives enrich our teaching, research and professional environments, strengthening creativity, innovation, and organisational performance. UOW acknowledges the inherently different experiences of women, men and gender diverse people, and we are committed to understanding and addressing the structural factors that contribute to these disparities.

We are dedicated to promoting and achieving gender pay equity, and to reducing gender imbalances across all levels and disciplines of the University. This commitment forms part of our broader UOW strategy to cultivate a fair, inclusive and high‑performing workplace—one where all staff can contribute, grow and succeed.

The gender pay gap (GPG) is a universally recognised metric of workplace gender equality and signals an employer’s commitment to achieving gender equality in the workplace. In 2025, UOW demonstrated improvements in its GPG as outlined below:

  • UOW’s organisation-wide GPG for total remuneration is 6.6% (down from 8% in 2024-25). This is lower than the Higher Education industry benchmark of 8.6%.
  • The GPG for non-managerial positions is 2.1% (down from 4.2% in 2023-24), a significantly better result than the Higher Education industry average (5.5%).
  • The GPG for Non-Managerial Professional positions is -1.24 (further improved from -0.7% in 2023-24), a better result than the Higher Education industry average (3.6%).
  • 62.2% of our workforce are women (37.4% men and 0.32% identify as non-binary); this is higher than the Higher Education industry average of 59% (women) and 41% (men).
  • There are significantly more women working part-time in managerial positions (17%) than the Higher Education industry average (15%), which is a positive result. 

The University’s commitment to gender equity is embedded in all aspects of the workplace including recruitment, ongoing professional development, promotion, and conduct. Various individual policies, strategies and procedures specifically incorporate gender equality including the STEM Decadal Plan. UOW is a champion of the STEM Decadal Plan, and have aligned these objectives with our Gender Equity Action Plan (2024-2026) and our overarching EDI Strategic Plan (2024-2029)

UOW undertakes ongoing, detailed gender pay gap analyses across academic and professional staff cohorts, examining trends by level, faculty, division and school. Findings and recommendations from these analyses are reported to both the People and Culture Committee and the University Council to support transparency, accountability and evidence‑based action.

The EDI and Belonging team within People & Culture works collaboratively across the University to identify and address the key factors contributing to gender pay disparities. This includes focused consideration of:

  • Structural and systemic issues that contribute to the gender pay gap at UOW, including workforce distribution and progression patterns.
  • Academic and professional promotion processes, ensuring transparency, fairness and equitable access to development and advancement opportunities.
  • Workforce composition and planning, including gender representation across disciplines, levels, leadership roles and employment types.
  • Gender pay gap concerns in both senior leadership and STEMM disciplines, where sector‑wide trends indicate lower representation and slower progression for women.

UOW’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Policy and Gender Equity Action Plan (2024-26) [INTERNAL] uphold the values set out in UOW’s EDI Strategic Plan 2024-2029 and outline the University’s commitment to gender equality and diversity in the workplace.

The Gender Equity Action Plan (2024-26) specifies 34 gender equity actions spanning the end-to-end employee experience including remuneration, recruitment, onboarding, employee systems, retention and promotion strategies. Our goal is to achieve equal outcomes for all genders at the University of Wollongong and ensure the University’s gender pay gap remains below the sector average.

The University of Wollongong remains steadfast in our commitment to achieving gender equity, fostering an inclusive culture, and driving meaningful changes to ensure all employees, regardless of gender, have equal opportunities to thrive. 

Annual compliance reporting to the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA)

Each year, UOW is required to submit an annual compliance report to the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA), to meet its obligation under the Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012. The Act requires non-public sector employers with 100 or more employees to submit an annual report for the preceding 12-month period i.e., 1 April – 31 March. The report is comprehensive and contains a combination of qualitative and quantitative responses.

UOW has a history of meeting the minimum standards set by WGEA in relation to specific gender equality indicators. Organisations with 500 or more employees must have a policy or strategy in place that specifically supports gender equality to be eligible to meet this minimum standard.

View the 2024-2025 WGEA Employer Public Report (PDF)